An Ethnoarchaeological Study of Burial Practices Among the Pokot People of West Pokot District

Abstract

The origin of death, which consequently leads to the burial ceremony, is still a mystery in many African communities. The beliefs about death and burial rituals are, therefore, diverse and variable. Death itself is full of emotion, and speculation, and thus the study of it is dynamic. Death is not only a common enemy among the Pokot but is also considered a cruel punishment from the supreme being "Tororot". According to oral tradition among the Pokot, death is the last and greatest evil of all and nothing can soften its sting (see also Beech 1911). Although the importance attached to it varies from country to country, the burial system is still an important phenomenon the world over. In Kenya for instance, most communities regard the burial of the dead as being a very important and respected institution. Among the Pokot community, burial is considered as a journey to the next world and the act of burying an individual is taken as an act of escorting the deceased to the next world. Like in many African communities, burying is said to be the saddest moment that the bereaved family relatives, and friends undergo in the Pokot community. It is against this background, that this paper presents an overview of an ethnoarchaeological study of the mortuary practices among the Pokot people. This paper is based on a study that was carried out amongst the Pokot people of West Pokot District, between November 1990 and January 1991, entitled An Ethnoarchaeological Study of Mortuary Practices among the Pokot People The main concern was the documentation of the community's burial ceremonies. The concern arose from a preliminary observation that burial ceremonies varied for individuals, mainly due to their socio-economic backgrounds.